Chasen Greenwood is one of the faculty members at Westside. He will be performing with Matisse Love in When Leaving Isn’t An Option an original choreography by Greenwood on Saturday.
Photo: Westside Ballet
You have already seen Oppenheimer and Barbie, the beaches will be packed this weekend. What to do? Here is something special happening this Saturday, tomorrow, August 5. The Westside School of Ballet is hosting an adult showcase at 1 and 3 p.m. at the Moss Theatre at the New Roads School, 3131 Olympic Boulevard, Santa Monica. Tickets are $25.
The artistic coordinator of the adult showcase is professional dancer Adrian Blake Mitchell.
Mitchell, who was born in Texas, lived on Via de la Paz in Pacific Palisades for a year, where he began his ballet training at the Westside Ballet. He continued his training in the U.S. and was offered a contract as an elite dancer with the Mikhailovsky Ballet in 2015. He lived and performed there for seven years, but with the invasion of Ukraine, he returned to the States.
Mitchell is overseeing 80 adults in this showcase who take classes at the Westside, including Mary Ruble.
Palisades resident Mary Ruble will be in the Westside Ballet’s adult showcase.
The Alphabet Street resident started dancing two years ago. Ruble says she is obsessed with ballet and can be found at Angelini (restaurant in Palisades Village) wearing her pink shirt, and ballet clothes, her my little dog Sophie.
“I have people stop me at the Palisades Farmers market and they will ask about me taking adult ballet,” said Ruble, who says she explains to people that they can start ballet at any age. “I tell them to come Sunday morning and to take from James Ady, a simple intro class that is so much fun and inviting.
“Ballet has become a way of life for me as an adult,” said Ruble who works in med/tech sales. “It’s been the best gift I have ever given myself. It took me several years to muster up the courage. I was really, really intimidated by what I knew about ballet and had seen in the media.
“Adult ballet is the antithesis of that stereotype,” Roble said, noting that through lessons and dance she has discovered a group of people, a new family that are super supportive.
“Ballet has become my center point, as it being a constant in my life,” she said. “The amount of work it takes to continue to progress, does translate into my personal life and professional life.”
Mary Ruble practices ballet at Westside Ballet. Photo: Westside Ballet
Westside School of Ballet has been offering adult ballet classes for more than 50 years and caters to all levels of experience and ability. The school offers classes for everyone, from beginners to advanced dancers.
Chasen Greenwood, a Westside faculty member and a choreographer for the show case, said, “Ballet is not just for kids or professionals. It is for everyone who loves to move, express themselves and challenge themselves. Ballet can help you improve your posture, balance, strength, flexibility and coordination. It can also help you reduce stress, boost your mood, enhance your creativity and connect with others who share your passion. Ballet is a lifelong journey that can enrich your life in so many ways.” Visit:click here.
Adult students at the Westside Ballet will perform this weekend.
Photo: Westside Ballet